Moving on
by edwalk86
Summary: This is really it. He could no longer kid himself. There standing, wrapped in each other’s arms were his two best friends in whole world. One of them, his sworn brother. The other, his long-time crush. NaruSaku NaruHina On Hiatus
1. Chapter 1

I haven't written anything for a couple of months now, so forgive me if things seem out of place or changes are made after posting. This is a story I came up with yesterday. It's NaruHina centred, but starts of with some minor NaruSaku. I don't really dislike Sakura that much, however I'm not to fond of Sasuke. This will however not be a bashing for either character, though both might come of seeming worse for wear. And since this is my first story focusing on a possible realtionship between Naruto and Hinata, things might go amiss. Anyway, this story is set about 4 years after the current timeline in the manga, so the characters are about 20 years old (I think that's right?), and things that happened before the story may be alluded to, but if not, it's not something important to the story.

This is fanfic. I don't own Naruto

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As Naruto stood there watching them kissing after committing themselves to each other, one thought became ever present in his mind. This is really it. He could no longer kid himself. There standing, wrapped in each other's arms were his two best friends in whole world. One of them, his sworn brother. The other, his long-time crush.

He had pined after Sakura for years, since the first time he saw her. And as the years progressed that feeling manifested into love. Yet she never returned it, instead focusing all of her attention on Sasuke. What was a fan-girl crush, turned into love. Even after he betrayed the village to join Oorochimaru on his quest for vengeance against his brother Itachi, Sakura never stopped loving him. And after years spent chasing him, Naruto and Sakura finally got their friend and teammate back.

During those years that Sasuke was gone, Naruto and Sakura trained to their limits, every gain in power putting them one step closer to their friend. It was also during those years that Naruto and Sakura started to become closer. First it was merely teammates consoling each other over their loss. Then a friendship that allowed for them to help the other when needing help or comfort. Then it reached a middle ground between that of friend and that of something deeper.

At first Naruto had thought his dreams had come true. He and Sakura had moved on into a relationship, though neither knew it at first, and it was only when their friends started teasing them every day that they finally looked at what their relationship was. Both denied it naturally, for different reasons. After spending several days apart looking at their relationship, they both came to the same conclusion.

They had both developed feelings for the other. For Naruto, those feelings had always been there. Now that they had spent more time together, those feelings had become stronger. Sakura, having only ever thought of Sasuke, found herself lost without her close friend and teammate, and realised her new found feelings. Things though, did not go according to plan.

Their new relationship, though not publicly declared, was rough at first. Both stuck in their ways, Naruto and Sakura continued to act the way they always did around each other when in public. Privately, things were awkward. Naruto started to get the feeling he would always be second to Sasuke, and Sakura would always want Naruto to be Sasuke. It wasn't until Sakura's 18th birthday that it all fell apart.

The party was long and loud, with everyone enjoying themselves. As things started to wind down, Naruto and Sakura slipped away, Naruto wanting to give Sakura her present in private. On top of the Hokage monument, Naruto gave her a beautiful necklace in the shape of a sakura blossom, loving words inscribed on the back. Their senses heightened from the party, the scenery and the loving atmosphere, they both went back to Naruto's apartment, where they made passionate love to each other.

From there it went downhill. They didn't regret what happened, but it unfortunately brought to light the differences in their feelings towards each other. Soon after Sakura's birthday, they ended their relationship. As it was then, Naruto could see that things would never work out the way he imagined. Naruto and Sakura still loved each other very much, but quickly found that it was more a love of family towards the other, though Naruto would always think of Sakura more passionately then he would admit.

Now he watched as Sakura walked away in the arms of his brother. The reception was a blur to him, even as he gave the speech, and it was only til he was dancing with Sakura that he let the tears manifest. Joy and sorrow mixed together, and though the tears were few, they were enough for Sakura to see. And then both Sasuke and Sakura were gone, off on their honeymoon, Naruto left without two members of his family. The party went on for a few more hours, until finally everyone went home, citing various reasons from that of having to work in a few hours, to being dragged home by their significant other, lest they embarrass themselves further.

Eventually only a few people were left, being those that helped organise most of the wedding and reception. Naruto took stock of who and what was left. On his right, Ino was hassling Shikamaru to get up and help, though she was having no luck, either because Shikamaru was being lazy as usual or because he was drunk, Naruto couldn't tell. And to his left were the members of team 8. Shino and Kiba were starting to pack up empty tables while Hinata went about collecting chairs. Also present were several waiting staff, who along with his friends, were beginning to clean up the mess for tomorrows next event.

Sighing, Naruto sat done in an empty chair, exhaustion starting to get the better of him due to the emotional stress of the wedding of his two closest friends.

"Are you alright Naruto-kun?" came the voice of Hinata to his left, a small smile on her face as she bent down next to him.

"Hmmm? Oh, yeah Hinata, I'm fine. Just resting a bit." Naruto replied as he looked at the girl next to him.

"You don't look fine to me, Naruto. In fact, you look like the walking dead." Ino said as she walked over towards them, Shikamaru still laying on the ground behind her.

"Geez, thanks Ino. You know just to compliment someone don't you."

"Don't give me that baka. You've been going non-stop since what, yesterday morning. I know you're a stamina freak, but you should tone it done a bit." Ino now had the attention of everyone in the room.

"Is that true Naruto-kun?"

"Well, maybe a bit true Hinata." Naruto replied like a naughty child caught with his hand in the cookie jar.

"It's one hundred percent true and you know it." Ino chimed in. "Why don't you just go home while you still can, so we don't have to carry you back later."

"I'm fine. Besides, I've got to help with the clean-up."

"Don't worry about it Naruto, we got this. You go get some rest." Kiba said as he and Shino folded up another table.

"But..."

"Naruto-kun, we can handle the rest. You go home and get some sleep." Smiling, Hinata stood back up.

"Yeah, Hinata's right. Besides, mister lazy over there on the ground can help out since he's only pretending. Yeah, I'm talking about you Shikamaru." Walking back over to her fallen teammate, Ino kicked Shikamaru in the side, eliciting a yelp, that had some of the staff giggling.

"Ow! Ino, that hurt."

"And it will hurt a lot more if you don't get up right now and help."

"Okay, okay, I get it. I'll help clean-up."

Standing up from his horizontal position, Shikamaru and Ino started collect some of the chairs scattered around the room.

"I'm not sure about this. How about I just help out for a bit." Standing up, Naruto started to put his hands together in a familiar seal, when he found another hand covering his.

"It's okay, Naruto-kun." Still smiling, Hinata removed her hand from over his. "We have a mission tomorrow, so you go get some rest."

"Okay. Thanks Hinata." Unable to resist any longer due to his tired state of mind, Naruto slowly made his way out of the events room located in the Hokage tower, his body on auto-pilot as he made his way home for some rest.

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Woops! I just realised I posted this without really checking it and the end sentence was wrong. My bad. Fixed now though. I've tried to write this as something I would enjoy reading, so I hope everybody who reads this enjoys it as much as I did.


	2. Chapter 2

Second chapter for this new story is done. I tried to keep my momentum going from the first chapter, but then I realised the ending was a bit off, so after fiddling with it a bit, I hope it makes sense (it's more a transition between chapter 1 and chapter 3).

Fanfic. Don't own Naruto.

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It amazed Naruto how things could go from good to bad so quickly. He woke up this morning, not because of his alarm clock, but because of someone knocking loudly on his door. And to make matters worse, he had not slept that well to begin with. So as he sluggishly got out of the bed, the knocking getting so loud and hard he wondered if the door would cave in suddenly, he could barely keep to himself the remark that escaped his lips.

"Why don't you knock a bit louder!? I'm pretty sure the whole of Suna hasn't heard you yet!"

The reply was not what he was expecting. He firstly heard a gasp, then a reply he wish he hadn't heard.

"At least Gaara could use the excuse of sand in his ears. What's yours dumbass!?"

'_Perfect'_ thought Naruto sarcastically as he finally made it to his door, opening it to reveal Kiba. "To what do I owe the pleasure of your company Kiba? Did your mother not want to beat you this morning, so you came over here to get an ass-kicking instead?"

Growling, Kiba was about to respond, when some type of stimulus behind him caused him to stop. Naruto could have sworn he heard someone clear their throat. _'Someone is behind Kiba. Why didn't I notice that right away? I gotta learn to calm down.'_ Looking around Kiba, Naruto noticed that said person was Hinata, but for some reason she was avoiding his gaze, and why was she blushing?

"Hi Hinata. Sorry about that I..."

"Save it Naruto, we don't have time to waste. You're needed at the Hokage Tower like Hinata and I. So hurry up and get dressed. I so don't need to see your package, especially this early in the morning." Kiba said as he turned away with a disgusted look on his face while Hinata's blush got deeper in colour.

Looking down, Naruto noticed he was only wearing boxers, and they left nothing to the imagination. What made things worse was that the open doorway started letting in the cool morning air.

"Oh shit! Sorry about that. Give me a second, and I'll be ready to go." Racing back inside his room, Naruto quickly got dressed, grabbing his storage scroll for missions. _'I guess that explains why Hinata was blushing.'_ Smirking because of the effect he had on the girl, his prankster side starting working overtime as he grabbed a breakfast bar, pushing aside Kiba unceremoniously as he locked his door behind him. "Okay, ready to go!"

"Geez, not so loud dumbass. It's still early." Said Kiba as he covered his ears because of the blond.

Ignoring Kiba, Naruto turned to Hinata as they started walking down the street. "Sorry about before Hinata, I was still pretty tired." Smiling to the girl, he took a bite of his breakfast as all thoughts of pranks left his mind.

"It's okay Naruto-kun, everyone sleeps in what they prefer." Hinata replied as a small blush appeared again.

Smirking from her response, Naruto couldn't help what came out of his mouth next. "Fair enough. So what do you wear Hinata?"

"Shit." Was the only warning Naruto got from Kiba as Hinata fainted right there. The next few minutes were spent waking Hinata up, and then they were off again to the Hokage Tower, Hinata avoiding looking at Naruto, and Naruto quiet because of the not so subtle threat he received from Kiba to keep his mouth shut.

Things became worse from there. Arriving at the Hokage Tower, Naruto and Hinata separated from Kiba, and continued onto their mission briefing. Entering the Hokage's office, Kakashi and Sai stood to the left of the entrance, while Tsunade, the fifth Hokage, sat behind her desk, a pile of paperwork on either corner of her desk framing her.

"Glad you two could make it. I was afraid I'd have to send out an Anbu squad to find you Naruto."

"C'mon Baa-chan, we aren't that late are we?" Naruto's off-hand comment got the desired reaction.

"Only if you're going by Kakashi-time. If you start wearing a mask and reading smut all the time, I might just have to kill you." Smirking, Tsunade enjoyed the moment while both Kakashi and Naruto stared at her with shocked expressions.

Before either could respond though, Tsunade got to business. "Kakashi, here's the mission briefing." Passing a mission folder to Kakashi, Tsunade continued. "We've received word from an informant that a former Sound-nin wishes to surrender to us in return for sanctuary. Naturally, they can't be trusted. However, this ninja has expressed knowledge of Oto's inner workings while the hidden village operated, and more specifically, information on Oorochimaru and Kabuto. Now even though Oorochimaru is dead, Kabuto is still a target considering the damage he has caused us in the past. You're to go to the meeting place listed and meet said Sound-nin, assess them and the information they can provide, then either capture or eliminate the target. Kakashi, you're in charge. Since two members of team 7 are away, Hinata and Sai will fill in. Because of the nature of the mission, it will be classed as A-rank. Any questions?"

Everyone in the room responded in the negative, except for one.

"You purposely held this back till they were gone, didn't you Baa-chan?"

"Yes Naruto, I didn't want this ruining what happiness they have." Seeing the sorrowful expression appear then vanish from Naruto's face, Tsunade continued. "Are you able to do this for them Naruto?"

"Hai, Tsunade-sama."

Exiting the building, their mission was soon underway, their destination a bridge between the countries of Leaf and Cloud. Arriving at the meeting point, the place was deserted.

"Anything Hinata?"

"Nothing Kakashi-sensei." Said Hinata as she scanned the surrounding countryside with her active Byuakugan.

Naruto did a quick scan of the area. "I suppose that means we're early."

"We aren't. We're right on time." Moving towards the bridge, Kakashi continued. "Fan-out. Look for anything out of the ordinary."

"Kakashi-sensei, on the other side of the bridge is a small note stuck to a tree." Hinata said as her eyes focused on the object.

"Is it trapped? Wait Naruto!" Spinning on the spot, Kakashi watched as Naruto leapt across the bridge, ripping the note from the tree. Preparing for a trap, the rest of team seven waitied several breaths, and when nothing happened, cautiously leapt across the bridge to join Naruto.

"Geez, Naruto. I thought you'd have more sense than that. What if the note had been a..." Kakashi's remark died on his lips as he watched Naruto studying the note. First Naruto's eyes grew wide, then all the colour drained from his face as his whole body started shaking.

"Kakashi-sensei. Where did Sasuke and Sakura say their honeymoon was again?" Naruto's voice was barely above a whisper, a low growl accompanying it as he spoke.

Just as he was about to reply to Naruto's question, a trembling hand gave the note to Kakashi. Only it wasn't a note. It was a photo of Sasuke and Sakura taken at their wedding yesterday, a small note written in the bottom left-hand corner.

_Hugs and kisses. Kabuto._

Racing through the treetops with Kakashi, Hinata and Sai following behind, Naruto could only hope his friends were okay, and that this day couldn't possibly get any worse.


	3. Chapter 3

Fanfic is go.

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Sakura was happy. Happier than she could ever remember being. Walking through the busy mall, her right arm and hand intertwined with her husband's, her smile the calling-card of someone who was in pure bliss. And she knew it could only get better from here.

The last few years of her life flashed before her eyes, trying to find something that could compare to how she felt now. The first years of her being a ninja, being on the same team as Sasuke, up till he left. The years as an apprentice to Tsunade, becoming a chuunin, then a jonin. Her time with Naruto. Nothing compared to how she felt now.

She was so happy with Naruto. He was cool, strong and affectionate. Every day he would say or do something that would reaffirm his love for her. And she loved him too. She just wished she didn't love someone else more. But in the end she had to leave him, for her sake and his. _'What was the point of being with someone, if you loved another more?'_, she told herself. She knew the excuse only worked when the one you truly loved came into your life. And that's just what he did.

After years spent avenging his clan, Sasuke came back. And after all the trials and tribulations associated with coming back to the village you betrayed, he was accepted with open arms. Sakura knew then she couldn't be with Naruto anymore, and it hurt her more than she thought when she broke his heart. It was worth it though.

Walking through the mall, Sakura knew it was worth it. Her first date with Sasuke was a disaster. She had reverted to her fan-girl persona, and Sasuke, while still trying to regain the trust of the civilian population of Konoha, was his usual stand-offish self. It took many subsequent dates till they both started feeling comfortable with each other.

Then Sasuke proposed on their one year anniversary. It had been perfect, with Sasuke proposing at the end of the date in full view of everyone at the restaurant. Before Sasuke even said the first word, Sakura had said yes, with all the diners applauding.

And then two days ago they got married in Konoha with all their family and friends in attendance. The hall, the cake, the dress, the ring, they all paled in comparison to that one moment came when Sasuke took her hand, said 'I do', and kissed her, sealing their marriage and their life now spent together.

Lookinight, g to her rSakura knew now that she had made the right choice. She loved Sasuke, and he loved her. And hopefully by the end of their honeymoon, Sakura hoped the last part of her dream came true considering that the first two days of their honeymoon were spent in their hotel room, neither Sasuke of Sakura able to keep each other's hands off the other. And they still had 5 days left.

"Let's have lunch in the park Sakura-chan."

"Okay Sasuke-kun."

The town that Sasuke and Sakura had chosen for their honeymoon was simple breathtaking. Situated in the land of Cloud, the town was surrounded by forests on one side, mountains on the other side, and a river that ran through the centre of the town, its sparkling blue waters adding a sense of tranquillity to the area.

Reaching the park, the couple found a secluded area to enjoy their lunch in peace. Sitting on the bench, Sakura silently ate the lunch they bought in the mall, her free hand running though Sasuke's hair as he laid down on the bench, his head in her lap.

"What are you thinking about?"

Looking down at her husband from his question, Sakura found the smile she fell in love with the instant she saw it.

"Just thinking."

"Just thinking?" Came the reply of her husband as Sakura looked up, the canopy of the trees opening up to a perfect blue sky.

"Yep. Just thinking how perfect everything is." Looking back down, Sakura found her head being pulled down by the hand on her neck, Sasuke's head rising slightly out of her lap, their lips meeting halfway in a kiss.

"Sasuke! Sakura-chan!"

Jolting apart from the sudden interruption, Sakura was angry upon recognising the voice of her team mate. Standing up, Sakura and Sasuke watched as Naruto, Kakashi, Hinata and Sai came out of the trees to land in front of them.

"What are you doing here Naruto! Can't you see that Sasuke and I are on our honeymoon!?" Taking a step forward, Sakura stopped when her husband placed a hand on her shoulder.

"What's happened?" Watching Sasuke's face go from carefree to serious as he asked the question, Sakura felt a sense of dread overcome her when she realised the team in front of her would only be here if it was something really important.

Stepping forward, Kakashi explained the situation. "We were to meet an informant, but when we got to the meeting place we found a note threatening the both of you, so we immediately came here to confirm your safety and the targets presence."

Sakura scoffed at the explanation from Kakashi. "So what? Who's going to pose a threat to us? You'd have to be crazy to take on the last Uchiha and the apprentice of the sannin Tsunade."

"It's Kabuto, Sakura-chan."

As Naruto finished his sentence, Sakura felt a shiver run down her spine at the mention of the snake's right-hand man. She had every right in the world to be confident in her and Sasuke's abilities. After all the years of training, missions and near-death situations, Sakura and Sasuke were now two of the most feared ninja's in the land.

And all of those situations now counted for nothing as Sakura found herself frozen in a trance, all the happiness and bliss from the past few days leaving her as she felt a presence land behind her and casually introduce itself.

"That's right Sakura, it's me. Kabuto."

* * *

I'm happy with how this chapter went, though I had 4 possible ways of doing it (in fact I've decided to combine two of the ideas, which is why this chapter focuses on Sakura). Like the last chapter this one ends on a cliffhanger, which was not intentional, but considering how much I wanted to put into this chapter I decided to split it in half and do the next part after a day or two break. Thanks for reading. Critiques and reviews are welcome.


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